A different kind of hero
by MindFruitNinja
Summary: A young boy and a slightly older girl - both has suffered a lot during their lifetime, but when one offends another, hell breaks loose and unforeseen things might come to surface... - The realization of a strange idea that made me wonder for a very long time.


It was a typical and quiet day in the city - it was not different in the park neither. A weak breeze flew through the trees while the sun was shining. Nothing special for an early summer day: people were walking, talking and enjoying the pleasant weather and the hours of free time.

„LEAVE ME ALONE ALREADY!" – a loud and sharp female voice interrupted the scene. A short red-haired girl in blue-striped white shirt and a yellow skirt was leaving the park with urgent footsteps. She was followed quite quickly by a strange short boy with long blonde hair in black singlet and shorts. He had two prosthetic limbs: his right arm and his left leg, made out of metallic components.

„Stop right now!" – The boy was shouting after the girl while running. He sounded similarly stressful.  
„I told you that I had my own plans!" – She replied, not stopping.  
„And I told you that you _couldn't_ do it with us!" – He ran closer, now following the girl next to her.  
„None of your damn business! I still do my part of the job. I clean up, I wash your clothes, I…"  
„That's _the least_ you have to do! Don't think it gives you a privilege for anything, especially not _for that_!"  
„Shhh…" – she looked away with a disrespectful sigh. Seeing this, he became even more pissed off and stood in front of the girl.  
„DO NOT TRY TO LOOK THROUGH ME!" – He shouted even louder. – „Don't forget that you're still living with us, so it's unacceptable that there's no week without finding either money missing, or doors kept open or going home for a complete mess of my stuff, or…"  
„Not that I didn't pay you back…" – she was still disrespectful, now standing in front of him. Their height difference made the whole situation apparently comic, but the background was much more serious.  
"THAT'S NOT THE MATTER, NAMI!" – The answer was not less loud than the previous one. – "STEALING FROM YOUR FRIENDS IS A SPINELESS THING! It's absolutely unacceptable! And I haven't even talked about your little lockpicking tricks yet…"  
"Who said we were friends?! I told you that I had my own goals…I have no intention to bind you, guys. Of course I thank you for all the help, but…"  
"Yeah, I can see you thank them!" – The boy interrupted her angrily. – "Tell me, what I can expect you when you leave? Stealing everything you can find and move while leaving the planet?"  
"Of course I won't…"  
"Can you even name a single planet, I don't know, just to know, where the hell you are going?" – For this interruption, Nami remained silent, while still beholding the walking people in the background. – "Can you see? You are in a totally strange world! Even I have no idea, where to go if we start searching the Gate! Got it? After spending 3 months here, I don't even know, where we are actually!"  
"I don't need partners…" – She answered. – "I told you this as well."  
"Yeah, you and your lame principles…" – At this point, he became less loud. – "Nami, can you tell me, where you would be now without us? I guess you can still remember how we met."

Of course she remembered – the circumstances of her arrival to this new strange and futuristic place was exactly as weird as it was in the case of her unwanted partners. In a moment, she was kneeling in the main square of her hometown, bleeding and crying, desperately asking for help from an apparently retarded, but certainly powerful straw-hat pirate captain – in another, she was waking up on the shores of a river, near to this gigantic city where she was living now. Initially, Nami thought it is just a dream – passing out in exhaustion and the slight blood loss…even if it happened in the possible worst time, still made sense. But soon she had to realize that this is reality – another one. Without having any idea, where she is, Nami decided to find a way to go home at any costs. Walking on the streets absolutely confused and lost, and then spending the night on a bench, she met the short boy and that guy with glasses and an undistinguishable beard only accidentally. After telling them her story and realizing that both she and those males arrived to this world the same strange way, they decided to work together on a better living, and finding the way to home, hearing about the legend of a mysterious "Gate" that "connects worlds". It has been for two months now. They fulfilled random assignments, forming a unique form of detective agency, mixed with mercenary elements, and it provided a decent living for the trio. Nami, however, has never wanted to find the Gate with them actually; she has been a loner for 8 years, for her, it was not the time to start trusting random mercenaries – she still did not distinguish them from those hated pirates anyway. She thought that because of it, it is not a sin to steal from them and bypass their doors and safes to find their dirty secrets, or at least a clue to go on to that Gate. These unwanted partners have thought it differently however, generating several confrontations among them.

Nami just smiled to the boy. "Edward…" – She said. – "You've seen my abilities...do you _actually_ think I would be helpless without you?! Don't be a fool! There are no security measures for me that I can't bypass! I don't give a shit about this high-tech mishmash, it's in my veins! I rob, invade and bypass anything I want!"  
A long silent has come after this. Edward was completely speechless. He knew a lot about Nami, after all those countless hours they spent talking about everything, from their past, through their adventures to the everyday affairs they got – but he has never thought he will be betrayed. At least, after spending so much time in both good and bad things, he felt he was.  
"What the fuck are you doing with us then?" – He burst out at last. – "Just exploiting us?"  
"What if I tell you 'yes'?"  
"Then you'll leave the flat with all of your belongings right now!"  
"I can lockpick myself back, don't thi…"  
"…I DON'T CARE! You are a spineless treacherous disloyal cunt!"  
"WATCH YOUR LANGUAGE, EDWARD!" – She has become noticeably angry for these words.  
"Truth hurts, isn't it? And there's even worse!" – Nami's face started to become angrier, while not responding anything, but only pressing her hands into fists. – "You are a shitty person, a completely untrustworthy and backstabbing jerk! You actually think that betraying those who try to help you is ethically acceptable? How can you watch your own face in the mirror without spitting on it?"  
"STOP RIGHT NOW!" – She was extremely agitated at this point. – "YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING! Nothing about my goals, nothing about my feelings, and _especially nothing_ about my conscience! Don't try to act as if you knew…"  
"Of course I know! We've discussed it several times, from several sides! Even that 'little' betrayal of those pirates…"  
"STOP OR I'LL BEAT YOU TO THE GROUND YOU INSENSITIVE DWARF!"  
"I'M NOT SMALL! But that doesn't matter now – what matters is that those guys even sailed across a huge portion of the ocean to find and help you, and the last thing you've made for them was stealing their ship and later sending them away! You even betrayed your own hometown for money – just because a mutant talking shark told you he never broke promises… I'm sure that that 'Luffy' and the others are going to defeat those devils, but you'll not be there to see, how your village will be freed! And you know what? It's better for them! IT'S BETTER FOR THEM NOT TO EVER SEE YOU AGAIN! BECAUSE YOU CAN'T BUY EVERYTHING WITH MONEY, AND FORGET THAT YOU'LL EVER, EVER GOING TO GO HO…" – A sharp and powerful punch into his face interrupted Ed at this point. When it happened, he realized what he said, and that it was a terrible idea. Nami, completely losing her mind, attacked the boy furiously, putting every power she had into it. Beyond the first punch, the alchemist could avoid all the attacks, and finally parrying one with his mechanic arm, but after that the girl ran away. 'Shit, that must have hurt', he thought and having a pale but much more terrible guess, what is going to happen, he ran after the girl, following her.

In a single-minded rush, Nami was running as her foot could bear it, to the direction of the apartment. Her brain was empty of thoughts, filled instead with pain, disappointment, despair, and a single, awful intention; the only thing she wanted to do at that moment. When Ed confronted her with the pure and painful facts, something was finally broken in the girl. Even getting used to the new environment seemed to be challenging for her, but with those words, Nami seemed to finally having enough. Not only of waiting while not knowing, what is happening with the Mugiwara Crew, not only of the suffering she previously went through – but of all these things as a whole. She has been strong through all those years, but it seemed to end in that very moment.  
"Nami, stop!" – Ed shouted after the girl several times while running after her, but everything seemed to be futile. She did not stop running – not at the park entrance, not across the streets, not even at the pedestrian crossing: cars were stopping and their drivers were angrily pushing the car horn to the running girl and the boy who was after her.  
When reached the apartment entrance, Nami stopped for a short time, entering the number code into the combination lock, but it was enough for Edward only to get a little bit closer to her. Not that the girl would have looked back: she did not even wait for the elevator but kept running in the stair house. The boy could reach the floor they were living only to see the door closing in front of his eyes. When he entered, he saw the door of Nami's bedroom closing, hearing even the click of it being locked. Worrying of the thought come into his mind, he clapped his hands and destroyed the lock in a simple alchemic splitting, without hesitation.  
"NAMI!" – The door opened as he shouted, only to see the girl kneeling on the floor with laid-down head, holding a dagger in her hand. It was the only item she brought with herself from his "homeworld", even she having no idea, how – and at that moment, she was the sole and confident aim to end her own life with that weapon. That terrible guess that has come to the mind of Edward was real.

At this point, the boy had no chance to tell anything; instead the attempted to kick the lethal weapon out of the girl's hand. She moved her hand away, standing up in a single jump. He then assaulted her, with no harming intention, but only to take that dagger away. She, however, started chopping in the air with that, preventing the alchemist getting closer. He avoided them well, and in a suitable moment, when the weapon was high in the air, Ed got closer, grabbing her hands and keeping the dagger far from both him and her – though, because of the impulse, both fell to the ground, where now Nami was forced down.  
"Nami, please…" – Edward said as their faces were in front of each other. – "I went too far, I know. Please don't do that you will regret!" – The girl's face was covered in tears and was disfigured of anger, sadness and hopelessness. Her eyes both reflected complete hatred and emptiness, while her mouth was in a constant sneer, with no words coming out.  
This situation did not keep for a long time, as Nami freed herself with a single but strong kick into Ed's stomach; he stood up in pain, and so did the girl, but she forgot the dagger in her hands, that the boy could take away easily this time. He threw in to the ground with its point with such a force that made it dig itself into the floor.  
"STOP!" – He shouted, but no answer was given as he approached the girl. Instead she took out three stick pieces from her cleavage, forming a huge staff from them. He strike Ed's head with it, and so did from the other direction almost immediately after. The boy was in huge pain but did not stop approaching, which surprised her. In her temporary pause, the alchemist pushed her with a huge force that made her drop the staff and hit the wall, after which he clapped his hands once more - this time he touched the wall with his palms to the left and to the right of Nami's head, respectively. In that transmutation, strange stripes started growing out of the wall, rapidly forming cuffs around both hands and both legs of the girl, finally rendering her unable to move and stuck to the wall.  
Edward kept this position for some seconds to regain energy, during which Nami still did not say a single word, as she was still in shock both from her thoughts, the fight and the sudden end of it. After that, the alchemist cleared his hand, slowly went back to the door, gathered the shattered fragment of the doorlock, and repaired with a simple transmutation. He then closed and locked the door, and sat down to the ground next to the bed, in front of Nami. His eyes were sharp and angry as he was looking up to the still desperate and mad face of the girl. During these events, and even for some seconds after it, the entire flat was totally silent as they were the only ones at home.

As it was expectable, Ed did not have to wait much before Nami bursting out.  
"LET ME OUT! LET ME OUT YOU BASTARD!" – She shouted and cried as loud as she could. – "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?! YOU IDIOT!" - Similar curses were shouted, while the face of the alchemist did not even shake; he was just watching the girl he thought his partner in a new adventure, acting like a madman, crying, cursing and convulsing as she tried to escape.  
"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" – Ed shouted back shortly after as he stood up. – "SHUT UP AND TRY TO CALM DOWN!" – And then he noted with a less loud voice: - "We need to talk."  
Nami stopped and anger slowly left her face, only to be replaced with the most heartbreaking sadness she could produce. The girl did not shout anymore but started quiet sobbing. Meanwhile, Ed touched his head on the part where he was hit, expressing pain. Soon he went closer to her, brought a box to the middle of the room, and sat down to that, still in front of the girl, watching her face with a similarly sharp, but less insensitive look.  
"Did you calm down?" – He asked, without getting any reaction beyond weeping. – "Seems so. Well, first of all, I have to admit that I said bad things. I said really bad, wrong, false and offending things to you and I'm aware that a simple 'sorry' is not enough for it, but…"  
"OF COURSE IT'S NOT!" – Nami interrupted him, with anger returning to her voice. – "CAN YOU EVEN SLIGHTLY IMAGINE, WHAT DO I FEEL? AFTER ALL THOSE DAYS WE SPENT TOGETHER, YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY UNABLE TO SHOW EVEN THE SMALLEST SIGNS OF EMPATHY! DO YOU EVEN HAVE A HEART?!"  
"I know, I went too far…"  
"OF COURSE YOU DID! How were you able to assume that I joined those filthy criminals for nothing?!"  
"I just wanted to say that you may never know…criminals are always liars and untrustworthy people."  
"But you still expect me to be trustworthy for you…!"  
"2 months, Nami…two damn months. We've spent all those days together. I'm unsure how careful or suspicious you are with others, but living this much time with us might have shown you that we are the good ones here."  
"There's no such thing as 'good' or 'evil' side."  
"That's right, but…damn, did you _actually_ think we are criminals? For God's sake, I even gave you my last portion of beef when we were out of money and food! " – The girl was unresponsive. – "So that's about my empathy. But what about yours? Did you remember that you stole 20 dollars from Hughes' wallet on the following week? Because I do, and he does as well – he was at the cashdesk, only to found your idiot drawing instead of the banknote. Can you imagine how pissed he was? And even you know that he's a calm and usually peaceful person – and it was your 'payback'…"  
"RIGHT, RIGHT, YOU'RE DAMN RIGHT, EDWARD!" – She burst out in tears again. – "I REALIZED THAT I'M A SHITTY PERSON! Already when you told the whole betrayal thing down there, I realized! Even if you were wrong about my feeling, the part about the people in Cocoyashi being lucky not to ever see me was perfectly, PERFECTLY RIGHT!"  
"Nami…"  
"No, you were simply right and that's it! What do you think why I wanted to kill myself? I don't even get why did you stopped me…"  
"BECAUSE I NEVER LEAVE MY FRIENDS BEHIND!" – Ed shouted back, leaving the girl unresponsive and surprised. – "You are not a shitty person at all, you just have bad things! I was pissed off, but that's all, I'm hot-headed."  
"Of course you are, and also insensitive, but still right…I just didn't want to accept it."  
"Damn…look, I'm also a shitty person in some aspects. I rendered my brother living in a suit of armor, never ever feeling the warmth of the sunshine, or the touch of another person…he's closed in a dark metal prison now, and it's my fault! Hell, he wouldn't even be alive if I didn't sacrifice my own arm!"  
"But ever since you dedicated your life to fix this fault."  
"So did you in your version of the story, aren't you?" – No answer was given. - "But anyway, the events that ruined your life are not because of you – I screwed up our life myself, but you are the victim only of outside circumstances. You've decided a not too ethical way to get your homeland back, but still, I don't think it makes you a bad people, I was just out of my mind. Don't do the same, please!"  
Nami went unresponsive again.  
"I know what do you think" – The boy went on. – ", and I definitely don't want to be a hypocrite, but as you can see, again, I can understand your feelings. Of course, in some aspects, you lost more than me, but…"  
"In some aspects? Are you kidding me, Edward? I practically lost everything! Never had proper parents…"  
"But you had Bellémere."  
"…who was killed in front of my eyes!"  
"But your sister is healthy and alive."  
"…who I can never see since I'm banned out of my hometown! Can you get it? Practically I have no home, I can barely even see my only relative who is not even my blood sister!"  
"But you still love it, without feeling guilt when watching her – I'm not able to do the same. Don't make theoretical problems actual ones, Nami…it's not a race or something. Both of us suffered a lot, it's our task to go through them and to survive without going mad. You have the luck that even in this world you've found people who can understand your feelings, who might even help you in it – and THIS is why you should respect our property and privacy! I don't want to make you feel guilty too much because I still don't consider you a bad person. After all, you betrayed only two groups you shouldn't have, I mean it was still evil to do, but you usually robbed and stole from pirates as you told, isn't it?"  
"Yes…", Nami said while still quietly sobbing.  
"So once more, I have to admit that I was an asshole. I told terrible things, some of which weren't even true…it's not your fault if you trusted that that 'Arlong' won't break his promise. Also, villagers will most likely miss you – from what you've told, you were important for them. I told these things only from anger, but it shouldn't be a reason for you to start this maniac frenzy and cut your own neck.  
"What do you think should be a valid reason then?"  
"Nothing!" – He stood up and went a little bit closer. - "There's no way that death is a solution."  
"Can you imagine, what a redemption death would be for me?"  
"What?"  
"Don't play the fool…even you may know, how blank and unsure my future is…crying every single night to sleep…the feeling I had to betray everyone _to save them_ …that's why I told you have no idea about my feelings. You wouldn't be able to imagine, that treachery might be the key to saving someone…and I had to face them when I got my first salary for the maps! The faces, Edward! When they realized that…" – She stopped as she started crying again. – "…the faces when they saw me, for who they were fighting joined the pirates…ED, I STILL HAVE NIGHTMARES ABOUT THAT!"  
"Nami, as I told you, it's not a race. I have nightmares as well, I hope I don't have to remind you, about what…" – The boy sighed before going on. -"Look, both of us went through these things, only differently. But we still had to live with them, and going through them inside. Harassing others with our problems will not help anyone. Not that you do that often…you've managed it very well so far. This is why I was almost surprised that you _actually_ tried to commit suicide."  
"I know…I know. But something died inside me when you told those things. I was so close seeing the end of the whole Arlong thing, and then I'm here…who knows what's happening there right now?"  
"You wanted to free them, aren't you? Well…" – Ed sat back to the box that we also brought closer. – ", from this place, you can't do much for them…"  
"THAT'S WHAT HURTS THE MOST, YOU IDIOT!"  
"…but one thing is sure: you personally are free here! There are no 'Arlongs', no pirates, no terrorizing madmen here. Well, of course, I don't know much about the background of this world, but currently, you are not forced by anyone to anything."  
"But…but…" – The girl was not able to finish the sentence for a while. – "But I've waited too long, Ed…eight damn years, my life was in constant danger! I even had to do things after which I'll not be the same anymore…"  
"This maniac rush seems to be the next one, I guess…"  
"And now you say I have to do the whole thing again? Searching some kind of futuristic One Piece? Even if I return, most likely I'm gonna do the same!"  
"…but with _them_! Because as far as you introduced them, those guys will surely win. Think about it! It doesn't matter if you're unsure; hope dies last, isn't it?" – During the entire conversation, Ed smiled the very first time. Name continued crying, when she saw his face. The boy then simply stood up, looked out of the window to the jungle of flat-blocks and moved his hands and legs as if he felt them tired. His face became neutral as he sat back.  
"You know, Nami " – He changed his tone. – ", it's quite interesting to think about that we're discussing things about that sometimes even our closest friends and relatives are not aware. And it's almost ironic that your nervous breakdown, or whatever happened was necessary for this to happen."  
"Don't try to take it as some kind of game or chit-chat…it's way not funny!"  
"Of course it isn't, I didn't want to imply, sorry."  
"What the fuck do you want then? Let me out already!"  
"How can I know that you feel better?"  
"Edward…I won't feel better anymore."  
"Ah, so you say I'm speaking to the air?" – He got no answer for this. – "You don't get it then. I actually consider you a friend, and I guess I still have a better opinion about you than Hughes has."  
"That's why you harass me this much?"  
"I wouldn't call it harassment. I'm trying to convince you."  
"About what? That you are as shitty person as me, or that I became retarded or that…"  
"For example, that thinking it over, I may not be too different from that 'Luffy' guy." – Nami surprised on his words as he stood up and went even closer. – "No matter how bad you were to him, he still followed you. He's the boss, he considered you some kind of 'junior', but he still followed you and is even risking his life for you. Ultimate loyalty! I do something similar, I mean I didn't let you kill yourself, and won't even let you out from that thing until I can't convince you that your place is among us."  
"Fucking heroic."  
"I've never wanted to be a hero. It's possible that I used to be while fighting against Father, and it's possible that I'll be one here while looking for the Gate…but now, with you, I doubt I do any truly heroic. But still, I feel I have to save you now. " – Ed paused for a cough. – "So you may be sarcastic, but it's a fact that I can see your soul…"  
"You can't, idiot."  
"You think I can't, because you hide your feelings. But look at yourself now! Maybe you don't need a mirror." – Ed did not get an answer. – "As I said, and even you know deep inside you, we've _truly_ gone through similar things, so partially, I can think with your head. Well, beyond this whole 'betrayal' thing, but forget that now. _I'm sure_ that you are a good person, and that you have feelings! Therefore, at least for me it's worth to try changing your attitude. Isn't it loyalty about?"  
"That's now how loyalty works. It can't connect me this strong that we both suffered a lot. Several people go through such things."  
"And how many of them live with it through years? Moreover, how many of them keep being so strong?"  
"Funny how you try to tell me I'm strong after this nervous breakdown."  
"As I said, you've never acted like this before, so I can't believe it was so usual," – No answers were given. – "So yes, you're a strong personality, who also kept being a good person. I guess you're having enough constantly hearing it, but I don't care. About me…well, let's say: I'm going on a truly hard path."  
"So you think it connects us? That both of us are emotional wrecks?" – She said, on which Ed laughed.  
"Well…if you want to say it this way…but yes, partially true. I think we can not only help but also expand each other pretty well! We form a strange but effective team, as far as I've experienced." – At this point, the alchemist transmuted a small pillar on the ground in front of Nami, and stood up on it, after which their heads were in the same height. Ed leaned closer to her, supporting himself with his arms next to her head, that being between the arms of the boy. – "But not only that." – He whispered as he went closer until he kissed her. It was not more than a loose play with the lips, as he did it at the first time in his life ever, but she could feel the emotions behind it.  
"I love you, Nami." – He whispered smiling after it. In the excitement, his heart almost skipped some beats, but he knew he had to hide it, to prove her his feelings. – "I love you, and I want to find the Gate with you. Maybe I even want to visit your world to see that 'Luffy', who knows…"  
"Stop pretending!" – She said, looking away around his arms, but not crying anymore. – "I know why you're doing it. But love does not work this way."  
"I know, I haven't even kissed many girls before…but now, it was the proof that I'm honest and serious! Do you think I'd ever attempt knowing that you're not opened for it?"  
"Don't you have other girls to kiss?" – She asked back, avoiding the answer.  
"That childhood friend, about who I've already talked, but I'm not sure in her feeling," – He leaned closer to Nami's face. – "At least not as sure as in yours! And who knows, where she is…but you are here now. You are here, in despair and sadness, so currently, you _need_ it."  
"Need what? Didn't you tell that I'm strong or something?"  
"You are, but currently, your biggest enemy is yourself."  
"Okay, enough of this figurative bullshit! Just let me out!"  
"You know I won't until…"  
"But I'm tired of your equivocation!"  
"You don't even know, what would you do if I let you out now, right?" – The girl went unresponsive. – "I highly doubt you still want to end your life, but I want to be guaranteed by it, so you stay here for a while."  
"Don't think that after saying those thi…" – She was interrupted by another kiss by Ed; this time, the boy grabbed her face to be able to do what he wanted. It was much longer than the previous one, but the girl still did not show any signs of resistance.  
"I've told you I'm sorry," – The alchemist said after finishing. – "I've told you I was out of my mind. I've told you why I said those things. I've even confessed that I love you! I'm sure you understood all of them, but you resist just to keep me wrong. But I guess, at this point, even you know that you are going to stay with us." – Nami started crying again. – "After all these thoughts I shared, you might be aware that even beyond your disgusting tricks, I don't want you to kick out, and that's also a reason for why we had to do this talk. I hope you understand now, why these things make us feel bad." – The girl nodded silently, with closed eyes, trails of tears went through her face at least the sixth time that day. – "As I said, I'm not a hero. I can't save you from 'Arlongs' and 'Kuros' – well, maybe, but I'm not a superhuman. I neither have a castle nor a pirate ship. You don't even need heroes, I know since you are obviously a strong girl. But I have my capabilities, and there's something from which you can't defend yourself: all these negative feelings." – She looked up to the boy with a heartbreaking look. – "Every bad thing you've done since you are here are because of what you've gone through. It's really straightforward – maybe I also have my own personal issues because of it. But I can prevent you to be the same, and I promise: if you change your attitude towards us, I'm gonna try to be less arrogant with you. I guess you are full of promises, but you could see how loyal I am, so I'm definitely going to do it! Because you are more important for me than I'd ever let such breakdowns like this happen ever again."- The words seemed to touch Nami's heart as her face changed to show tears of relief instead of sadness. The alchemist, seeing that, went on. - "As I said, I'm not a hero, so I don't expect you to act as if I was. That 'Luffy' might save you but looks like somehow you managed to be with me instead. You don't even have to feel the same towards me as you do towards him…just please, keep your old confidence and be our proper partner! Some guy might join us in the future, but don't worry: we are not pirates. Oh, and please, never act like this again…you're much stronger." – She nodded silently, after which he asked quietly: – "Can I release you now?" – He knew the answer, but he wanted to give the girl a sign. As Nami nodded again, Ed smiled, clapped his hands, and reversed the transmutation, removing the cuffs and leaving the girl free. The alchemist went back from his leaning position to straight standing, but still on the pillar that made him equally tall to the girl. She stood for some seconds, looking down to the ground, before bursting out in tears one last time, crying loudly and hugging Edward. He requited the hug, as the girl buried her face into his shoulder.  
"Ed…it hurts…everything hurts so much…it was almost unbearable…", she repeated these and similar words as she realized, there's another person who can understand her feeling. She was unable to believe it after how he behaved with him on that day, but listening to the words of the alchemist for this long, she realized she has to stay with him. After losing contact with Luffy, she has found a new friend – or maybe even more, than a friend.  
Edward waited for the girl to calm down, as he knew she had a hard time today. Suddenly, he felt Nami's hand hanging his neck instead of his shoulders, to which he reacted moving his hands down to her waist. Both knew, what was going to happen.  
"So…" – Nami looked up with a filmy look, still some tears going down on her face. – "Do you actually love me?" – She asked. Ed smiled and responded while wiping off the girls tears from her face with his left hand: - "Wasn't I convincing enough?" – She smiled back, while the boy kept his hand on her face, caressing gently around her chin and her neck.  
"Prove again!", she whispered as she put her hand on Ed's nape while digging the fingers of her other hand into the boy's hair. "You are a fantastic and beautiful girl!" – He whispered one last sentence, after which they hugged themselves closer than ever while started passionate kissing. It was different this time, not only because they used their tongues, but it was much more emotional, especially from the side of the girl. They both felt that something was changing with that kiss, and that they are closer with one small but heavy step not only to the way to return home, or their inner happiness, to which both had a huge need – but to each other as well. Both were missing someone, and not only from the past: Edward had a hard time coming through the fact that he doesn't know anything about his brother, while Nami was in constant stress about losing touch with Luffy, after his promise to help her; however, at that moment the two united in passion, it did not matter anymore, they were thinking of themselves.  
"Come.", Nami whispered after the kiss and held the hand of the alchemist. She did not care anymore, that what she touched was cold steel, as it still was the part of this strange short boy.  
"What do you want?", he asked as he walked down from the pillar.  
"Shut up and lay down!", she replied strongly yet gently, and pushed him to the bed, while taking off his shoes, leaning over Edward and go on kissing him. He did the same as he got the sign. He was unsure first, but then he realized that events will not stop beyond this point.  
"Are you sure you want it?", the alchemist asked as he was becoming more and more excited.  
"Is the door closed?"  
"Y…Yes, but…"  
"Is Hughes at home?"  
"He won't until night, but…"  
"Then yes!", she laughed with blushed face and laid down next to the boy, only to push him above herself, and continue kissing. Ed started moving his left hand to below her shirt, to which she did not resist. She used to avoid such thing during her life, but in that moment of passion, after such a relief, in hands of the only person in the world who understood her, Nami wanted to enjoy every single seconds she could spend with him.

Edward woke up for a loud knocking on the room. Darkness was about to cover the bedroom as the sun was going down, indicating the beginning of the night.  
"Edward Elric!" – A familiar voice could be heard from the outside. – "I several calls from the neighbors about the unbelievable behavior of two teenagers on the streets and in the building…"  
The boy was dressing up while being unresponsive. As he finished and was approaching the door, the knocking was repeated. "Okay, okay, I'm here!", he responded quietly.  
He opened the door. Maes Hughes was standing there, with a noticeably unpleasant, yet peaceful look.  
"Ed, you and that little thief cause me more and more trouble!" – he said. – "I got messages from neighbors, who saw you in the local news heard and gossips, as you were running through the street without waiting for the green…you were almost hit! And what about the constant bawls on this level? What the hell were you doing, children?"  
The boy was unresponsive for some second until he said: "Well…do you wanna hear the short version or the long one?"  
"Just tell the matter…", Hughes sighed with complacent hands.  
"I convinced Nami stop stealing and lockpicking our stuff…and, you know, she's a hard case, so…I ended up convincing her also to be our proper partner in finding the Gate."  
Maes was noticing something in the corner of his eyes, as he was listening to Edward.  
"Is…that…is that a bra?" – he leaned into the room through the partially opened door next to the boy, finding exactly what he thought he saw. He then also found Nami sleeping in her bed, wrapped in the blanket, lying on her side, only her bare shoulders and foots visible.  
"…I think I should tell the long version as well?" – Ed whispered with blushed face. Maes sighed.  
"Just go out, to the kitchen…gonna make a tea.", he said, after which both guys left the bedroom, closing the door.

 _End  
_ **  
Author's Note:** _my first fanfiction in English, and also my first crossover fanfiction ever – reviews are welcome!_


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